FullMetal Express
by Kegami96
Summary: Edward Elric is a teenager with a knack for science, a two-room apartment, lots of red jackets, and no holiday spirit. But there's one thing about the holidays he does do every time: wish. Wish for his family back, even though he already knows it won't happen. Retelling of Polar Express, FMAified. T for Trains and Themes. Modern AU, no pairings, child Roy, a bit of angst. Or a lot.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own FMA.**

 _Prologue: The Day of the Eve of Sorrow_

Six years.

It was six years and he didn't think he could manage it for much longer. But he'd hold on anyways, just on the slim chance he could still make it up.

Edward Elric was a weird kid - and that was by weird kid's standards. He dropped out of school when he was seven, but he was smarter than the teachers that taught high schoolers years older than him. He lived in a two-room apartment he paid for himself from odd jobs around town, and he read science books in his free time. Actually, he was able to read them while working - the only time he didn't was during winter, when the snow would get the books wet.

So, since it was winter, he was muttering strings of chemical components and tidbits from the seven books he'd read that morning while he mowed a lawn. The snowfall was light, and not many people were out, so the fifteen-year-old stuck out like a site thumb.

He was wearing a red jacket-hoodie that extended past his waist and hung off his arms, being a few sizes too big, and under that a black t-shirt and pants, along with elevator boots. Not much insulation from the cold. His hair, which was well past his shoulders now, was tied in a braid. He wore thick white gloves in both hands. The outfit wasn't very color-coordinated, but it looked nice put together.

Ed reached the end of the lawn and turned off Ms. Reed's lawn mower, pushing it up the driveway. He punched in the code for the garage door, ducked under as soon as he could fit, and left the machine in the corner. During all this he never broke his string of words.

"Water, 35 liters. Carbon, 20 kilograms. Ammonia, 4 liters. Line, 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorus, 800 grams, salt, 250 grams..." He paused less than a second to knock on Ms. Reed's door. "Saltpeter, 100 grams. Sulfur, 80 grams. Fluorine, 7.5, iron, 5-"

A wrinkled old lady with a kind face opened the door, making the socially challenged teen stop. "Hi. I, uh,finished mowing your lawn."

Ms. Reed thanked him quietly and pressed a couple bills and coins into his hand. He counted them, sticking his foot in the door so she couldn't close it. "Hold up, you gave me nearly 500 cens more than I said. Here."

"It's all right dear," she assured. "It's Kinjuku tomorrow, you're out working, and I think you should have it for working so close to the holiday."

He handed her the money, his face turning into a scowl of disapproval. "I really shouldnt, then."

"Why not? What is it?" Ms. Reed asked, concerned.

The annoyed look on his face didn't leave as he walked down her porch into the dying sunlight.

"It's nothing much. I just don't really believe in that stupid kid stuff anymore, you know? Kinjuku's just an excuse for kids to get free stuff. Why should I think something that can't be proven by science is fact? Science is the answer to everything."

The old woman sighed and closed the door. Ed trudged slowly down her driveway, and he whispered into the night, to none in particular;

"And besides... Without him it's just another day full of emptiness."

-;-;-:-

Ed slammed the oak door behind him, kicking off his boots as soon as he was alone and then plopping on the couch. "I'm home, Al," he muttered, glancing at a photo of a six-year-old boy sitting on the coffee table. "Stupid people. They keep saying 'Happy Kinjuku' when I'm at the point of caring into negative numbers. It's not the same without you."

He sat up and continued talking while he pulled off his gloves. "But I did get some more money. Soon I'll have enough to travel out to find you. But first I have to pay bills and taxes..." He sighed, pulling his right glove off with his teeth. "Being a fifteen-year-old legal adult is annoying sometimes."

His right arm was made of metal and shiny, and he paused in his rant about his day to stare at it for a moment. "You know, Al, I miss Granny Pinako too. Her granddaughter would be like thirteen by now, right? I wonder where she is... Or where you are." He laughed, shedding the jacket and throwing it into a pile of similar ones in the corner. "How funny would it be if you were in the next town over? Or across the world? That'd be either a waste or an excuse to keep working for cash."

As Ed walked into the kitchen to grab something from the fridge, he passed a tiny, scrawny tree in another corner next to teh door. It had one ornament on it - colored red, of course - and was surrounded by a pile of shredded needles. The tradition of using evergreens for Kinjuku had come to be only a few years ago, but the people embraced it like they did for anything else involving the holiday.

He shook his head, making his braid sway. "Stupid Kinjuku, stupid Otikku, stupid sixth year without Al," he muttered, sticking his head inside the fridge.

Kinjuku was a holiday celebrated in midwinter (the date was calculated using the rising and setting of the sun and moon, but Ed didn't care much about reasons) and was focused around unseen gifts - mostly giving, forgiveness, gratitude, all those lovey dovey things Ed could care no less about. The holiday was nearly as old as the country itself, but no one really knew exactly why it was started. Otikku was also known as the Spirit of Wishes, or St. Otikku to the old people. He was a forever-young boy who could grant wishes left by children under their trees (they used to leave them above the fireplace or on the table), in the form of gifts and the occasional note of advice. Children looked forward to it all year, even older teens who shouldn't believe anymore.

No one had ever seen the Spirit of Wishes, but Ed wished he could just for a second, to somehow re-spark his belief. He stopped enjoying the holiday since the incident almost seven years ago.

As he sat down back on the couch, images flashed through Ed's mind, and he squashed most just before they got to the point of giving him an attack.

 _The frightened face of a young boy as he melted down before his eyes._

 _His own leg being pulled out of its socket._

 _Equivalent Exchange. Pain._

 _Life for life._

 _A shock of gold hair, bronze eyes, a smile quickly ripped off an innocent face..._

 _Screams._

 _The smell of iron and burning._

 _Laughter. A white void._

 _Tears blurring his vision as he saw countless things flash before his eyes._

 _Pain. More pain. Confusion. Everything. Nothing._

He didn't notice he was hyperventilating until his darting eyes locked onto the photo of the six-year-old. The smile and the bright colors of his face brought him back from the darkness his mind was putting him through. Ed shook his head to shake off the last fragments of memories and then stood up, looking at the smiling boy questioningly as if he could communicate with the picture. It seemed to him like the smile was trying to tell him something-

'Write down your wish.'

He knew the voice was his conscience, but it sounded like the boy in the picture (Al), so he called it Head-Al. "Ya know what I'm writing already. So does Old Man Otikku."

'The real Al would have wanted you to...'

And within seconds he was scribbling a few words on a paper and setting it semi-neatly in the branches of the tiny, scrawny tree before going to the other room to get ready for bed.

On the paper was written these words:

 _Otikku-_

 _Give me back my family, you stupid 'wish-giving' creepo._

 _-Ed_

 **I know, I'm leaving you in the dark and it's short. But it's only a prologue.**

 **Anyways, welcome to my little side story, FullMetal Express! I watched Polar Express last night and I was like, "I could totally do this in FanFiction," so I did and here you go. This is going to extend well past the new year, actually, but it all happens in the same ten minutes, if you know what I mean. *Wenk wenk wink* And Kinjuku is an Xmas ripoff, but the true identity of the other train kids and the Spirit of Wishes himself will be surprising to all of you. Well, except Winry. You'll know 'er when you see 'er.  
**

 **See you all next time! All aboard for the FanFiction Express!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Nope, don't own FMA.**

Chapter Two: _Also the Eve of the Day_

It was now thirty minutes past 2200 hours. Ed was sitting on the apartment couch, wearing shorts and a tank top. The pile of red jackets and black shirts and pants was gone from the corner. The least he could do for the Eve of the Day was do this laundry, right? He'd also taken advantage if the last-minute holiday sales and restocked the fridge and small pantry. He didn't buy any gifts for anyone. He'd not taken any either (though he had been offered by the children of some of the people he worked for).

He took the picture frame from the coffee table and tapped the glass above Al's face with his metal hand. "You, little bro, are a strange child."

'I notice you still use present tense. I'm flattered.'

"Oh shut it, Head-Al," the blond muttered. "I think I'm going to sleep on the couch tonight. See if the wish-giver creepo is real."

'Why do you always call him a creep?'

He removed the wooden back of the picture using his automail to get under the seams. "Because he IS. I mean, what kinda guy just waltzes into people's rooms and gives them crap, and to kids no less? The man has to be a creep. Why else would he do this stupid Kinjuku thing?"

'So in your mind, Otikku is a pedophile.'

-Pop!- The wooden back came off, leaving the frame and a stack of several pictures in its wake. Ed sighed, setting it down on the table. It was a cool table, with a glass top and black-and-white woodwork. Everything in his room(s) was either black wood, white wood, white marble, shiny black stone, black, or white. His few belongings didn't spruce up the place enough, so he'd added in red accents to everything through various means when he first moved in. There were ten (new and washed) red jackets, both hooded and hoodless, sleeved and sleeveless, on the wall next to the door, a red frame around all the very old pictures on the other walls, red paper and glass plates and cups in the kitchen, and other assortments.

"Not really. I don't think he's sexually attracted to them as much as he likes watching them sleep. Like a creepo."

He could almost see a him with shorter hair and duller eyes crossing his arms skeptically. 'So you believe in Kinjuku?'

He spluttered, but even while doing so he handled the photos inside the frame with expert care. "Pff- what? No! I think Otikku is a guy who picks locks and has an all-powerful keycard and sneaks into people's rooms to leave wrapped wishes and watch kids sleep. That's why I lock my door three times and set traps. Who wants an old guy standing over you while you sleep?"

Before his conscience could respond, he heard a knock at the door. "Mister Elric? You have a visitor at the front desk. She said she didn't want to come down here."

She? That was new. Ed didn't have any female friends - or any friends, for that matter. "What for?" He asked the clerk (he knew it was the front desk clerk; he'd heard her enough times to be sure), not moving off the couch as he swapped the current front picture out for another one.

"She said she's here to give you a holiday present. She looks really excited, honey. You might wanna come see her."

Ed sighed and stood up, grabbing his "emergency" long-sleeved black shirt from behind the stack of jackets. He pulled his gloves on too - no one on apartment staff knew about his arm and he wanted it to stay that way. His apartment building was almost like a long-term hotel - there was a front desk, a big huge room with lots of washers and dryers, a breakfast buffet (you had to pay a pretty hefty fee, but it was better than anything most of the residents could cook) that was open on Saturdays and Sundays, even a pool. The only things missing was the chocolates on your pillow and the maids running around snooping into your stuff.

He opened and closed the door quickly (seeing as the floor was not yet cleaned up), stepping into his boots as he walked out. He refused to wear anything but those boots in public - they added a couple inches onto his height. The desk clerk was a woman in her twenties, with brown hair and hazel-gray eyes, plus she acted basically emotionless for most people. Ed and a couple other teenagers at the apartment place were the only ones who could bring out the best of her. Her nametag read, "Juliet Douglas."

As the two walked back to the desk, she asked humorously, "So, Ed. How's life as the world's youngest adult?"

He groaned, outing his hands behind his head. "Horrible. Taxes, taxes, bills, taxes, and more taxes. Doesn't the government realize I still need food and entertainment? I still don't have a phone because of all the money I'm giving away."

Juliet smiled. "But being fifteen and being able to have a job and things is better than being at an orphanage, right? Or in foster care, too."

He shrugged. "Meh. I still can't do drugs, not that I would, but having a part-time job along with my odd jobs is nice. I guess it's equal: I have a job, I pay taxes for it."

"At least you don't have to pay for clothes," the clerk giggled. "You never grow at all."

"Don't. Call. Me," Ed muttered mutinously, "Short. Or tiny, or little, or midget."

"It's all in fun, mister Scrooge," she laughed, patting his blond head as the desk came into sight. "There she is, over in the corner."

The was a little girl (thirteen, maybe fourteen) bouncing on the balls of her feet in the corner of the room next to a row of chairs. She had a shoulder-blade-length ponytail that left out some of her bangs, all of which was this weird perfectly yellow color, and bright blue eyes that looked around at everyone entering and leaving. Her outfit was a pink-purple hoodie sweatshirt, and jeans dyed the same color. She wore dark brown snow boots and was stuffing mittens in her pockets as soon as she saw Juliet return with Ed in tow.

Next to her in the nearest chair was a short old lady with pinkish hair and a pair of round glasses. Ed would recognize that face anywhere.

"Granny!"

Pinako looked up at the fifteen-year-old as he smiled at her across the room. Her voice was quiet but heard from his position across the room. "Edward Elric in the flesh, if I'm not mistaken. It's been nearly seven years now, kid."

"Why are you all the way out here?" He asked, coming to a stop in front of her. "Isn't Resembool like a thousand hundred miles away?"

"I brought you a visitor," she said. "You last saw her when she was about three. Do you remember?"

The girl from the corner was now at his side, looking at him with big blue eyes - were those sparkles? He was now scared. She grinned and squealed softly, then started shaking his hand - or, really, his whole body. "Hi there, I'm Winry, Winry Rockbell, I'm Granny's granddaughter, I heard stories about you all the time, are you really already a legal adult, I'm Winry, have I mentioned that, I-"

"Winry, that's enough," Pinako muttered. The girl immediately stepped away, leaving Ed to smack himself on the side of the head to fix his vision. "Ed, this is my granddaughter, Winry. She wanted to come over here to wish you happy holidays. We're staying just down the street tonight."

Normal people would have fretted over Otikku not finding their Kinjuku wishes. Or over them being so far from home for the Eve and the Day. Ed just nodded. "Okay. Cool." Then he turned to Winry. They were almost the same height despite the two-year age difference, Ed being just a few inches taller. "Hi. I'm not social, so don't expect much from me. And no, you can't come into my apartment."

"I don't need to," Winry said, the sparkles returning to her eyes. "I came to check out your autom-"

"Shh!" Ed said loudly, overriding the rest of her sentence. "No one here knows about that, okay? Just... If you want to talk about it, let's go outside or something. Just gimma one second."

He ran (take that, building rules) back to his apartment, grabbed a hood-free winter jacket, and came back out in less than a minute and barely out of breath. Pinako and Winry were now outside. Luckily the snow had stopped a while ago, plus this jacket happened to have a book in the pocket. Ed took it out to read while they walked and talked.

"Ed, put the book away while you talk," Pinako scolded, as the three walked down the street.

"I can read, walk, talk and do other stuff at the same time, you know," he said, flipping the pages rapidly, absorbing the information rather than reading it, it seemed. "It helps me in social situations when I'm multitasking."

 _Furthermore, the Flamel, another important scientific symbol, is known most for being the mark of Nicholas Flamel, the French philosopher._

"Can I look at your automail when we get to the hotel?"

"No, Winry. I don't want it looked at right now."

 _The man was said to put it next to his signature and on the backs of all his research journals, plus it decorated all parts of his attire._

"Awww... Why?"

He closed the book and looked at her sharply. "Lay off, okay, it's Kinjuku tomorrow."

'You only use it when it's convenient, huh.'

In his head, Ed replied, 'Shush, Head-Al. I don't need your input.'

"Okay..." Winry stomped her snow boots on the mat before walking into the hotel. "Can I look at it next week?"

"Sure, I don't care." Pinako went up to the front desk of the stiflingly hot hotel lobby and checked in. Ed started reciting the periodic table under his breath. He couldn't stand hot rooms, and the table helped him calm down.

Even so, the flashes caught up with him.

"Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium..."

 _Heat pressuring him from all sides._

He sat down unconsciously, tapping on his left knee with his pale fingers.

"Boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen..."

 _Screams again. Fire was licking at his face and arms._

His other hand started to go through his hair, messing up his bangs. His feet started tapping restlessly as well.

"Fluorine, neon, sodium, magnesium..."

 _The fire died down to just hurting his leg and arm, but it stung behind his eyes too._

 _Pain and heat were all that existed for a moment._

He was shaking slightly now, only to the trained eye. Luckily, there was one of those people in the room, and she had just turned around to see an anxious and visibly freaking out Edward. His eyes were wide and his pupils had dilated.

 _The room was way too hot. There was smoke everywhere._

"Aluminum. Silicon. Phosphorus. Sulfur. Chlorine..."

 _Why was it so hot?_

"Ed, hey. Ed."

He blinked, and he was back in the room with Pinako in front of him, looking concerned, and a confused but also concerned Winry to the side. He dropped his hand from his hair and returned it to his side, standing up, all signs of previous anxiety gone in an instant. It was like he'd done this countless times before.

He went and stood in the open doorway of the lobby, welcoming the cool air that blasted in his face. He hated hot rooms.

Pinako sighed sadly from behind him. "I'm sorry, Ed. I forget sometimes that you can't be in rooms that are heated like this one."

"It's fine, Granny," he consoled, not turning to face her, letting the freezing air hit him in the face. Snow stuck to his bangs. "It happens sometimes. Don't feel bad. At least you stopped it before it went full-on."

"Before what?"

The two older people had almost forgotten about the thirteen-year-old. She was frowning in frustration and confusion. "Granny, the only stories you told me about Ed were ones about how awesome he was. So... What're you two talking about? What was that back there?"

Well, the kid at least deserved the need-to-know facts. Everything about Ed was shared on a strictly need-to-know basis. He turned toward her and said, "When I was younger, I think the last time was when I was six or seven, my... **dad** would do... well, the best word for it is tests, on me and my brother. The last couple of times he did them were really bad and they give me panic attacks."

"What sets you off?" Winry asked, mildy interested. Ed could understand; if she was following the Rockbell tradition of mechanics, she needed basic knowledge of mental and psychological health to do the job right. She should know the basics of PTSD.

"Hot rooms, like this one, needles and shots, my father, unfinished basements, and mentions of the types of tests he did to us, are the ones we know about. There's also when I sleep without my meds and I have nightmares, but that rarely happens."

Pinako remembered how he'd had nightmares so often he refused to sleep for a week, and then she'd put him on sleeping meds for as long as he had PTSD, which was most likely for life. Due to the size of his body and the nature of the pills, however, they worked lightning fast, so he usually had to be in bed before he took them or he'd crash on the couch.

Winry looked surprised but mostly passive about it. "Cool. Granny tells me stories about how you survived-" a look from both of her company- "uh, you-know-what surgery without screaming, and how you finished rehab in a year. I thought that was... really cool."

Ed smiled. Then he cast a glance at the clock on the wall to his right - it was almost five, which meant he needed to go home. "Well, Granny, I need to go back home now. I guess I'll see you guys around?"

"Tomorrow!" Winry called. He raised a hand as he walked back down the street, the snow coming down hard.

"See ya, Win."

 **So yeah, I know it looks like a pretty pointless chapter to you. The next one shall be uploaded on Christmas, by the way, so... look for it around two in the afternoon. I'll be playing Xenoblade Chronicles X until I think to upload, and then it'll be two or three. And this chapter does hold importance!**

 **Tell me in the reviews what you think will happen next, and what significance Winry will have to this story! Bai!**

 **-Kara**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: _Midnight, or close to it_

Ed woke up and looked at his clock after noting how dark it was outside. It was only 11:55 - he took his sleeping meds two hours ago, they shouldn't have worn off already, they should last nine hours. Why had he woken up?

Unless he was dreaming. But he didn't dream with the pills and this wasn't a nightmare.

The clock wasn't ticking, either. Weird.

Ed sat up and shoved the thick wool blanket off, swinging his feet over the end of the bed. One automail and one flesh leg greeted him in the silvery-blue moonlight coming in from the window. He was dressed in the same tank top as before, plus a pair of black shorts. He picked the clock up and examined it. It didn't seem broken from the outside. Maybe something was wrong with the gears - it was a twenty-year-old clock, after all. It had probably malfunctioned.

And then he heard the train outside.

Trains in the streets of a city and no one was screaming or calling for help? What was this?

The light started coming in through his window and he frowned, kind of disturbed by the weird events going on. He stood up, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodless sleeved jacket, and went outside - don't forget the elevator shoes, though. Never forget the elevator shoes.

Outside in the snowy streets was a train.

Just a train, parked in the middle of the deserted street. Nothing special.

Ed gaped at the train. It wasn't too long - he could see both the front and end from where he stood. It was colored rusty red-brown, but shiny and new-looking and dusted with snow.

And it was a train.

Ed was still trying to wrap his head around that when he heard an unknown voice calling, "All Abooooard!" He ignored it in favor of trying to read the black lettering on the side. "Hey, Kid, are you coming or not?"

Suddenly realizing the voice was talking to him, Ed turned. In the settling snow he could see the silhouette of a waving figure from the side. Said figure was taller than he was - not that he was short, mind you - and wearing some kind of conductor's hat over long stringy hair.

He walked cautiously closer, still weirded out. His brain was running sciencey theories through itself, trying to make logical scientific sense of a _train with people_ in the _middle of the freaking street._ Like, seriously, what the crap?

He stood in front of the person. It was guy, based on the voice and general physique, with long greenish-blackish hair sticking out from under a blue conductor's hat. He wore the uniform of said conductor, but the suit was unbuttoned, showing the black shirt underneath, and the whole getup was wrinkly like he'd been using it forever. He couldn't have been any older than twenty - minimum seventeen.

"Heya Kiddo. Name's Envy. Code name, at least." 'Envy' winked. "You comin' on the train or not?"

Ed smiled uneasily. "Uh... Not to sound rude, but what exactly is this and where is it going?"

Envy grinned. "Well, welcome to the Fullmetal Express. Me and the kids on here are heading for Otikku's place up north."

Ed took a frozen moment to process that, and then he burst out laughing. Envy leaned off the train, using only one foot and hand on solid ground/poles while a skeptical, annoyed look crossed his face. "Look, Kid. We're on a tight schedule here, if you could hurry up and choose, we'd be happy."

Ed held up a finger to signal he needed another second. Then he stood back up straight and said, "Well, I might as well, shouldn't I? I mean, if it's a dream, it won't hurt, and if it's real - which I highly doubt, by the way - then it won't do much."

Envy grinned again, this time a weird kind-of proud way. "I like your train of thought, Kiddo." Ed rolled his eyes at the pun. "Yeah, yeah. Now before I run out of steam for these off-the-rails puns, you better get on."

"Stop it!" Ed burst out suddenly, laughing as he put a hand on the poles to pull himself up. He liked this Envy guy. He was like him - sarcastic, to-the-point, and really weird. "I'm coming."

Envy waited for the shorter teen to be standing fully on the train before swinging around the pole, waving up to the front of the train, and pointing to the car door on their right. "Thattaways the main passenger train." Then he leaned in and whispered, "By that I mean that's where everyone is going to be. Everyone here is always in one train every year, I swear."

Ed nodded. "Where're you going?"

Envy waved his hand to ward off the question, producing a black-and-white striped cap from nowhere and swapping it for the blue one on his head. "Front of the train. Things to do. I'll come back for you guys in a bit."

The green-haired boy pulled the car door open, blasting Ed with warm air, before turning around and walking through the other side door. "Oh yeah. Better get in there and seated before we move, Kiddo."

Ed blinked, then dashed inside the room and closed the door quickly to avoid letting cold air in. Ed gave one last small wave to the 'conductor' of the so-called FullMetal Express, who grinned and waved back.

Envy walked through a couple of rooms to the engine room, getting the feeling he'd finally made a right choice.

 **Yup. Envy is the conductor. I got the idea from 'What if the conductor just had a ton of hats and he just always swapped them out for new ones?' Which turned into 'Envy can shape-shift. Same difference.' Plus I just like Envy as the conductor.**

 **Anyways, sorry it was so short. If I added on what I wanted to it would have been too long. See you all late,r and also, happy late New Year's.**

 **-Kara**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heya guys! I'm finally baaaaackkkK! And this chapter shall introduce a coupla new characters, half of which will remain nameless but they're all FMA. I'd love it if you guys tried guessing which ones they are. And..**

 **Guess who else is on this train right now? Ahahahaaaa...**

Chapter Four: _Still almost midnight._

"Hey! I know you!"

Ed also knew the owner of the voice before he even turned around. He'd heard it a lot in the last couple of hours.

Winry was waving, sitting on her knees on her seat. She and the other children in the car all wore pajamas and bathrobes and the like - there was Winry, with the same lavender sweatpants and a black t-shirt, a boy with a blue robe, a girl in a form-fitting black nightdress, another girl with curly red hair and a white nightgown who looked like the youngest one on the train, and a boy wearing gray sweats decorated with red eyes. They looked to be ages eight to thirteen. Ed was probably the oldest there, but to his... er, height issues, he looked like he fit right in.

"Hey Winry," the blond said as he sat down on her bench. She turned around and sat facing the correct way, grinning.

"I didn't know you were coming. Otherwise I would have brought the tools with me-"

"Winry!" Ed said harshly and quietly, cutting her off before she could say anything about his automail. "We talked about this earlier, remember?"

"Oh yeahhhhh," the thirteen-year-old trailed, still smiling but embarrassed.

Across the aisle and a row back was the black-haired girl with the black nightdress. She was only about twelve, but she looked very good in it. Next to her was a red-haired boy and a black-haired nerdy-looking kid with glasses, both of them about eleven. Directly across from Ed and Winry was the eight-year-old girl in the cute little nightgown, swinging her legs happily, as well as a girl of around ten with short black hair in a ponytail and black pajamas. In front of the two girls was the gray-clothed nine-year-old, stretched out across the seat and picking at one of the pairs of cat-like eyes on his shirt. On the bench directly in front of the two blonds was the blue-robed boy, black hair sticking up sort of messily and a bored expression on his face. He had one elbow on the window and his chin in his hand, looking out the window. The girl next to him looked kind of like his sister, but with short yellow hair and a dark purple robe.

"Where are we going, really?" Ed asked. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not - he hadn't dreamed in nearly six years, so he wasn't sure what his mind was capable of conjuring up. And this sure wasn't like one of his nightmares, but it seemed too surreal to be actually happening. It didn't hurt to ask.

The blond girl in the seat ahead turned her head slightly to look at Ed. "Didn't Envy tell you?" She asked, her voice not sounding at all sleepy, which surprised Ed, "We're going to see Ottiku."

Ed snorted. "Yeah, 'cause I'll just believe that."

"You should," the black-haired boy said, his black eyes glancing at the fifteen-year-old in the window's reflection. "It's true."

Ed just continued being moody, rolling his eyes. "I'm having a conversation with people I don't even know. Mind telling me who you are?"

"Riza Mustang," the girl said, glancing at him again. "People call me Hawkeye."

"Roy Mustang," the boy said, smirking back at the two blonds. "I'm going to be the president someday."

Winry and Ed looked at each other in unison, kept a straight face for about two seconds, and then burst into laughter. "Good luck with that," they both said through giggles.

Roy rolled his eyes and went back to staring out the window of the train. Riza shut the other teens up with a glare. Even so, they still stole glances at each other and laughed behind the siblings' backs.

Ed was starting to get kind of used to this. Just kind of, not enough to actually believe it, but enough to be comfortable. He slouched in his seat and stuffed his hands in his pockets, fingering the hole in the left one made a long time ago in a time he tried to forget.

"So where are you from, Hawkeye?" Winry asked Riza, using the nickname she told her about. Ed listened but didn't join.

Though she asked the girl, it was Roy who answered. "Same city as you. Just the opposite side. You guys were the last stop."

Winry jumped completely off topic with her next question. "Hey, what do you guys think of Envy? I think he's kind of creepy."

Roy and Ed said at the same time, "I thought he was kind of cool," then they looked at each other, glared, huffed, crossed their arms, and looked away. Winry and Riza laughed. Both boys shot them a glare, which they ignored.

And off they continued, in general good spirits, until their fun was interrupted by the voice of the conductor ringing through their carriage.

"Heya! Ticket time~!"

 **TICKETSSSSSSS. Remember how the conductor writes stuff on everyone's tickets? Envy does that too. See if you can guess what he'll write on everyone's. And where said tickets are. And guesses for what's next.**

 **I think Envy is my favorite character so far. What do you guys think of child Roy? I feel like I'm horrible at writing him...**

 **Anyways, I gotta go. Review! Bye!**

 **-Kara**


	5. HIATUS NOTE :(

Hi guys! So... Long time no update. I've been swamped in homework and family crap lately and I honestly don't think I'll have time to work on this for a while. I have a bit of ch. 5 written but I'm waiting until I have free time to continue this.

Sorry for the temporary hiatus! I'll get back on this ASAP! Luv y'all!

-Kara


	6. The Sad, Sad Truth

Oh my gosh, guys. I know you're expecting a super-long apology chapter. And I'm sorry because this is the opposite.

I may have to cancel this fic until later.

First of all, I am really sorry and I really hate to do this. But I've been having a lot of family and personal problems lately, and I don't know if I can find the motivation or free time to write right now.

Second, I WILL most likely (like, 89% sure) rewrite and/or continue this at a later time. It might take a while, but... yeah.

This is the story I've gotten the most reviews on and I love all of you who review(ed)! I love your support, but I've been having a major case of Writers-artist's-designerist's-everythingeverist's block and can't really write anything I feel is good enough for you all. So, I'm like really sorry but... This is discontinued.

FOR NOW.

Like I said, I'll probably continue this (possibly much) later. I promise to try, for the sake of 13 reviews, 12 followers, 11 favorites, and 533 views.

Love you all, see you in another fandom.

-Kara


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